The AMI say 'Ciao' to a NATO-standard Aardvark

Spinners · February 2, 2014

General Dynamics F-111N - 6° Stormo 'Diavoli Rossi', Aeronautica Militare Italiana, 1990

Once the USAF's SOR-183 'Tactical Strike Fighter' mission and the USN's 'Fleet Air Defense' mission had been banged together to create the TFX competition, eventually won by General Dynamics, there was immediate interest from many air forces due to the dazzling performance promised by the F-111. In turn, General Dynamics were encouraged by the US Department of State to propose export versions to allied nations so as to realise further cost savings from a larger production run. Indeed, the likely production run was estimated to be in excess of 1,500 for the USAF and USN plus another 1,000 for export to US allies and by 1964 this had prompted General Dynamics to actively market a baseline F-111X export version based on the F-111A.

When the UK Government cancelled the outstanding TSR.2 strike aircraft in April 1965, General Dynamics realigned the F-111X to create the F-111N meant as a NATO standard type with the UK announced as a launch customer for a new version based on the Australian F-111C with long-span wings and strengthened landing gear and subsequently revised to incorporate the Triple Plow II intake and the TF30-P-12 engine rated at 20,250lbs thrust. Whilst initially only ordering 50 F-111N's the UK Government gave every indication of a total requirement of 220. In early 1966 Italy become the second customer for the F-111N when they ordered 90 aircraft for the Aeronautica Militare Italiana and the first of these entered service in 1969 with 154º Gruppo at Ghedi.